Great East Japan Earthquake Information

Samurai Tours would like to express our sympathy and condolences to all the people who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. We would also like to express our sincere respect and gratitude to those who have been involved with the relief and recovery efforts. We also want to thank both past and future clients who have expressed their concern for the safety and well-being of the staff at Samurai Tours (both myself and the Japanese staff). Please rest assured we are all safe and sound. Your thoughts and concerns are touching, and will help us get through this difficult period.

To those future clients who have already registered for tours and for those who are thinking of registering for a tour, your safety and well-being is foremost in our mind. We are constantly monitoring the on-the-ground situation in Japan. This new section of our web site is dedicated to the recent events in northern Japan and how they affect the current travel environment in Japan. As we will keep updating this page as we get more and new information, I would suggest periodically checking this page for updates at your convenience.

Your safety and comfort is foremost on our mind. At the same time, we are still dedicated to providing you with a unique and special Japanese experience. We see no reason why we cannot do both at this time given the current conditions. We hope to see you soon in Japan.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

Happy Travels,

Mike Roberts
Owner, Samurai Tours

Current Assessment - As of 23 OCT 2011

Transportation

JR has re-opened all of the Shinkansen lines in northern Japan, however, the trains are operating at reduced speeds. All other train lines around Japan are operating at pre-earthquake levels

All of the domestic and international airports, with the exception Sendai Airport are currently operating at full capacity. The Sendai Airport has now begun accepting flights, both domestic and international flights.

Radiation

Radiation monitoring by the Japanese government, U.S. government assets, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) all indicate that levels of radiation measured in Tokyo as well as Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures remain at normal background levels. Other than areas in northern Japan close to the nuclear power plants, there are no reports of elevated radiation levels in large areas. There are reports of small, isolated hot spots around northern Japan. These hot spots are not found at any areas where tourists would go.

Food

It should be noted first that Japan imports more than 60% of their food. Rice is the only food item on which they are self-sufficient. The first rice harvest since the earthquake was in September. Naturally, a great deal of attention was paid to the harvest. The Japanese government took 2,500 samples of harvested rice around the country. Here are their findings.

Of the 2,500 samples, 96% were perfectly normal. 4% of the samples were found to contain cesium, which is thought to have come from the power plants. All of the affected samples were from the Fukushima Prefecture, and the highest readings of radiation of these samples were less than 25% of the safety limits. There was one sample from one single rice paddy that did have a higher radiation reading, but still within safety limits. All of the paddies immediately surrounding the elevated paddy were consistent with the lower readings found in Fukushima prefecture. These findings are consistent with the isolated hot spots mentioned in the previous section.

You can be assured that all food items are being monitored, especially items from northern Japan. All precautions are being taken to prevent any dangerous foods from reaching store shelves.

Tap Water

The United States government reports that all tap water around the country is safe to drink, including tap water inside the 20 km evacuation zone around the nuclear plants in northern Japan.

Aftershocks

There have been numerous aftershocks in northern Japan, some relatively strong. And there will probably continue to be many aftershocks for some time. While many of these aftershocks are able to be felt in Tokyo (although most are relatively weak there), we have felt none of these aftershocks here in Kyoto.

Travel Advisory

The United States State Department, through the American Embassy in Tokyo issued the following statement on October 7 regarding travel in Japan.

"This Travel Alert updates the Travel Alert for Japan dated July 19, 2011, to note modifications to U.S. government recommendations for U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in the area around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This Travel Alert expires on January 13, 2012.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Agencies of the U.S. government continue to review the conditions at and around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant and the measures taken by the Government of Japan. Additional data are now available from Japanese authorities, allowing for a fuller assessment by U.S. government scientists.

Areas We Recommend US Citizens Avoid

Based on current data from Japan, we recommend that U.S. citizens avoid all areas within 20 kilometers of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. In addition, U.S. citizens should avoid the area northwest of the plant that the Government of Japan has designated as the "Deliberate Evacuation Area." This oblong area in a northwestern direction from the power plant covers Iitate-mura, the Yamagiya district of Kawamata-machi, Katsurao-mura, Namie-machi and parts of Minamisoma. U.S. citizens should also avoid all "Specific Spots Recommended for Evacuation" by the Government of Japan. U.S. citizens who are still within any of these areas should evacuate. Government of Japan maps and information on evacuation areas may be found here.

Other Areas Within 80km of Fukushima Daiichi Plant

TEMPORARY VISITORS: Government of Japan data measurements show varying levels of radiation in land areas outside of the area described above, but within 80 kilometers of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. The U.S. government believes the health and safety risks to temporary visitors to these areas are low and exposure does not pose significant risks to U.S. citizens making visits of less than one year. We recommend U.S. citizens contemplating travel to these areas consult with Japanese authorities regarding local conditions at the proposed destination."

Nuclear Power Plants

I know this is foremost in everyone's minds. It is also foremost in our minds. I am not going to try to give you a lot details. (What do I know about nuclear power plants?) All of the reactors and spent fuel rods have been stabilized, and all have been cooled to less than 100 degrees centigrade. The radiation in the immediate area around the reactors on both water and land is 1,000,000 times lower than just after the earthquake. This was completed in mid-July, according to the schedule announced in April, and was an important step to shutting the reactors down. They are currently on schedule to have all of the reactors shut down by January.

Tokyo

Life in Tokyo has returned to normal.

The current radiation levels in Tokyo should be put into perspective:

• The normal radiation levels in New York City are higher than the current radiation levels in Tokyo.
• The normal radiation levels in Hong Kong and Singaper are 50% higher than the current radiation levels in Tokyo.
• The normal radiation levels in Cornwall, England and Denver, Colorado are double the current radiation levels in Tokyo.

The Rest of Japan

I am writing to you from Kyoto. I can see no difference now from before the earthquake, either now or just after the earthquake. Since the earthquake, we have traveled everywhere around Japan, with the exception of the affected areas in northern Japan. The rest of the country is business as usual, and everything is as it was before the earthquake.

Future Tours

All future tours will be operated as planned.

Links

Environmental radioactivity level (including tap water) by prefecture
This web site from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Science by prefecture lists the radioactivity levels as well as the tap water levels.

Videos

Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo on April 7

Trip Reports after the Earthquake

Well, we are back home and everything went very,very well. I'm definitely glad we made the trip and I think the Hiroshima/Miyajima experience was a great alternative, quite aside from any earthquake concerns. Catching sakura at near full bloom was great luck, which combined with the smaller than usual crowds (for obviously the worst of reasons) made for a particularly fine experience. My 17-year-olds learned a lot of history but did particularly enjoy Takeshita-dori, Shibuya, and downtown Osaka. Great thanks to you, Charlie, Tammy, and the guy originally from Nagasaki (can't remember his name) who met us at the airport. With time rather short, particularly in Tokyo, having the logistical/planning stuff taken care of really allowed us to maximize our time sightseeing. I particularly appreciate Charlie's flexibility in Tokyo - we got to see the Meiji shrine at the end of the tour and walked from where he left us at the top of Takeshita-dori to Meiji-dori to the main Shibuya area. We didn't leave the area until well past nightfall - very enjoyable for all of us. The bottom line is - I would greatly recommend traveling to Japan (at least Tokyo and points west) and making use of your services. I hope the human suffering is truly on the mend and economically things get back to normal as soon as possible. I really think they will. In the meantime, I'm a little overdue for bed so sayoonara and best wishes.

The Herzog Family from Kalamazoo, Michigan
April 2, 2011 to April 11, 2011

Report of Tokyo Day Tour - April 11, 2011
The clients said they decided to visit Japan because they got news directly from NHK overseas broadcast instead of the media in USA. They felt that the US media tended to exaggerate the situation and provided audiences with an unbalanced view of the situation. The public transportation in Central Tokyo went as smoothly as usual, and the whole day went smoothly as well. The clients said they were satisfied with the tour, and were a bit surprised to find that Tokyo was not affected by the natural disaster at all. They said they were grateful to Mike-san because he had given them detailed information about Japan before their departure.

The Cook Family from Los Alamos, New Mexico
April 9 to April 23, 2011

I followed my plan to visit Japan with a friend from March 19th through April 2, 2011. We followed Samurai Tours' Best of Japan self-guided independent adventure. The instructions were daunting upon reading, but when at each site, were clear and exact, even down to the crosswalks. The few times we had questions and found no English speaking employees, someone in the crowd always spoke up and offered translation help. The guides provided by Samurai were very knowledgable about customs, history, and even plants. It was a wonderful trip full of many new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and delights, and I would have missed the experience of a lifetime had I let fear of the unknown prevent me making it when I did.

I can't count how many times we said to each other: "I'm so glad we came".

The people were more friendly and generous than advertised. Other than in Tokyo, we would never have known there had been any sort of disaster issues. In Tokyo, there were not as many people on the streets as usual, per our guide, hence not the expected crowds everywhere, which meant faster seating at restaurants.

Everything everywhere else was business as usual. Trains, buses, taxis, funiculars, cable cars, and subways were all running fully and on time. We were able to experience them all and got to see more of the real Japan, not just the tourist parts, because of the detailed plans provided by Samurai Tours.

P.S. Don't miss the foot massage in Kyoto, you'll really need it by then!

Suzy Graham March 19 to April 2, 2011